Giuseppe
Emeritus
[Source: EuroFlu, full page: (LINK). Extracts, edited.]
EuroFlu - Weekly Electronic Bulletin -
Week 20 : 14/05/2012-20/05/2012 - 25 May 2012, Issue N? 447
Influenza activity at out-of-season levels in the WHO European Region
Current situation: week 20/2012
Outpatient surveillance for ILI and ARI
Among 38 countries reporting data on intensity, 37 reported low intensity with decreasing or stable trends in clinical activity.
Slovakia reported medium intensity.
Of the 38 countries reporting on the geographical spread of influenza: 20 reported no activity; 17, sporadic or local activity; and 1, regional activity.
During week 20/2012 sentinel outpatient clinics collected 263 respiratory specimens, of which 10 (4%) tested positive for influenza viruses, a decrease from 11% in week 19/2012.
Of the positive specimens, 3 were influenza type A and 7 were influenza B (Table 1, Fig. 1).
In the 5 countries testing 20 or more sentinel specimens, influenza positivity ranged from 0% to 15%.
Hospital surveillance for SARI
7 countries reported data for hospital-based sentinel surveillance of SARI: Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.
56 respiratory specimens were collected from SARI patients, of which only 1 tested positive for influenza type B. (Fig. 2).
Further information on the sentinel SARI surveillance systems represented in the EuroFlu bulletin can be found in ?Overview of sentinel SARI systems in EuroFlu?.
Virological overview
Influenza virus type and subtype detections
Table 1 provides an overview of the influenza virus detections by type and subtype in sentinel ILI/ARI and SARI surveillance for both the current week and the period since week 40/2011.
Table 1. Influenza virus detections in sentinel specimens
[Specimens tested and viruses - Current week (number and %): ILI/ARI ? SARI - Cumulative since week 40 (number and %): ILI/ARI ? SARI]
Of the influenza A viruses, 45 were subtyped, 44 (98%) were A(H3N2) and 1 (2%) was A(H1N1)pdm09.
Since week 40/2011, 43 233 influenza viruses from sentinel and non-sentinel sources have been typed: 39 296 (91%) were influenza A and 3937(9%) were influenza B.
Of the influenza A viruses, 21 526 were subtyped: 20 656 (96%) as A (H3N2) and 870 (4%) as A(H1N1)pdm09.
Virus strain characterizations
Influenza viruses are monitored each season for antigenic and genetic characteristics, to determine the extent to which they correspond with the viruses included in the seasonal influenza vaccine as well as the occurrence of mutations that affect pathogenicity or that are associated with susceptibility to antiviral drugs.
Since week 40/2011, 19 countries (Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the United Kingdom (England), France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland) have characterized 2068 influenza viruses antigenically (Fig. 3).
18 countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland) have characterized 1283 influenza viruses genetically (Fig. 4).
# Included in the WHO-recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2011/2012 northern hemisphere influenza season.
* Included in the WHO-recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2012 southern hemisphere influenza season.
Further information
The EuroFlu bulletin describes and comments on influenza activity in the 53 countries in the WHO European Region. Further information can be obtained from the WHO/Europe, WHO headquarters and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control web sites.
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EuroFlu - Weekly Electronic Bulletin -
Influenza activity at out-of-season levels in the WHO European Region
Current situation: week 20/2012
- This issue is based on data for week 20/2012 reported by 41 Member States in the WHO European Region.
- Consultation rates for influenza-like illness (ILI) and acute respiratory infection (ARI) are now at low levels in all countries in the Region.
- 4% of sentinel specimens from patients with ILI or ARI, and 2% of specimens from sentinel SARI patients tested positive for influenza this week.
- The number of hospitalizations due to severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) is declining overall.
- No resistance to neuraminidase inhibitors among influenza viruses was detected.
- This is the last weekly EuroFlu bulletin for the 2011/2012 season. The next bulletin will be published on 8 June and will summarize the situation for weeks 21?23/2012.
Outpatient surveillance for ILI and ARI
Among 38 countries reporting data on intensity, 37 reported low intensity with decreasing or stable trends in clinical activity.
Slovakia reported medium intensity.
Of the 38 countries reporting on the geographical spread of influenza: 20 reported no activity; 17, sporadic or local activity; and 1, regional activity.
During week 20/2012 sentinel outpatient clinics collected 263 respiratory specimens, of which 10 (4%) tested positive for influenza viruses, a decrease from 11% in week 19/2012.
Of the positive specimens, 3 were influenza type A and 7 were influenza B (Table 1, Fig. 1).
In the 5 countries testing 20 or more sentinel specimens, influenza positivity ranged from 0% to 15%.
Hospital surveillance for SARI
7 countries reported data for hospital-based sentinel surveillance of SARI: Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.
56 respiratory specimens were collected from SARI patients, of which only 1 tested positive for influenza type B. (Fig. 2).
Virological overview
Influenza virus type and subtype detections
Table 1 provides an overview of the influenza virus detections by type and subtype in sentinel ILI/ARI and SARI surveillance for both the current week and the period since week 40/2011.
Table 1. Influenza virus detections in sentinel specimens
[Specimens tested and viruses - Current week (number and %): ILI/ARI ? SARI - Cumulative since week 40 (number and %): ILI/ARI ? SARI]
- Specimens tested ? 263 - 56 - 36747 - 4399
- Influenza A + B - 10 (3.8%) - 1 (1.8%) - 10983 (29.9%) - 689 (15.7%)
- Influenza A - 3 (30.0%) - 0 (0.0%) - 9586 (87.3%) - 647 (93.9%)
- Influenza B - 7 (70.0%) - 1 (100.0%) - 1397 (12.7%) - 42 (6.1%)
- Influenza A subtyped - 3 - 0 - 8645 - 613
- A (H1N1)pdm09 - 0 (0.0%) - 0 (0.0%) - 187 (2.2%) - 64 (10.4%)
- A (H3N2) - 3 (100.0%) - 0 (0.0%) - 8458 (97.8%) - 549 (89.6%)
- A (H1N1) - 0 (0.0%) - 0 (0.0%) - 0 (0.0%) - 0 (0.0%)
Of the influenza A viruses, 45 were subtyped, 44 (98%) were A(H3N2) and 1 (2%) was A(H1N1)pdm09.
Since week 40/2011, 43 233 influenza viruses from sentinel and non-sentinel sources have been typed: 39 296 (91%) were influenza A and 3937(9%) were influenza B.
Of the influenza A viruses, 21 526 were subtyped: 20 656 (96%) as A (H3N2) and 870 (4%) as A(H1N1)pdm09.
Virus strain characterizations
Influenza viruses are monitored each season for antigenic and genetic characteristics, to determine the extent to which they correspond with the viruses included in the seasonal influenza vaccine as well as the occurrence of mutations that affect pathogenicity or that are associated with susceptibility to antiviral drugs.
Since week 40/2011, 19 countries (Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the United Kingdom (England), France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland) have characterized 2068 influenza viruses antigenically (Fig. 3).
18 countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland) have characterized 1283 influenza viruses genetically (Fig. 4).
* Included in the WHO-recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2012 southern hemisphere influenza season.
Further information
The EuroFlu bulletin describes and comments on influenza activity in the 53 countries in the WHO European Region. Further information can be obtained from the WHO/Europe, WHO headquarters and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control web sites.
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